Chapter 314 - 297: [Fruit Position]
Desolate Halberd Splitting Sky True Monarch slowly turned around.
As he moved, this strange world seemed to "turn" with him.
The gentle heavenly light flowing through the forest, the swaying jade-green leaves, the leaping rare birds and beasts, and even the majestic, pure Spiritual Mechanism and Dao Rhyme in the air all silently completed a subtle adjustment centered on him.
Qi Yun finally saw the true face of this Northwest Giant, this pillar of the Wuji Holy Sect.
His face was not the stern and ancient or otherworldly and ethereal visage he had imagined. Instead, it was unexpectedly... young and rugged.
His eyebrows were as dark as ink, his nose bridge high, his jawline firm, and his skin a healthy bronze.
His entire face exuded a sense of power that had been weathered by storms yet remained vigorous. The corners of his mouth were naturally upturned, hinting at an almost roguish nonchalance.
His pair of shattered-gold eyes were deep and boundless. As they moved, phantoms of nebulas being born and dying, of the Ten Thousand Laws rising and falling, seemed to flash and vanish within them.
The True Monarch’s gaze rested on Qi Yun for a moment. The casual curve of his lips seemed to deepen slightly. He gave a faint smile, his voice still carrying that unique, warm, metallic timbre:
"You’ve been to the Upper Profound Celestial Palace, haven’t you."
BOOM—!
Those words struck his ears like a silent bolt of Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, detonating in the deepest part of Qi Yun’s Purple Mansion!
His pupils instantly contracted to pinpricks, and the harmonious, restrained aura around him uncontrollably produced a tremor—faint and almost imperceptible, yet violently real.
Though he tried his best to maintain a calm expression, his mind was in utter turmoil.
’He believed his actions had been clandestine. Using Xuan Hengzi’s sea charts, he had fled far to the overseas, isolated island of Huang Li, and had even concealed himself with multiple layers of arrays. Not even Black Mountain Master had been able to pinpoint his exact location when he broke through...’
’So how did this True Monarch find out?’
’Has the Realm of True Monarch truly reached the point of omniscience, of looking down upon all of eternity?’
Just as Qi Yun’s Heart and Spirit trembled, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and he even began to rapidly consider how to respond and whether he would be punished for secretly exploring the ruins.
"Don’t be nervous."
Desolate Halberd True Monarch seemed to have a perfect grasp of the momentary fluctuation in his aura. He waved his hand dismissively, his movement carrying an effortless, nonchalant grace.
"It’s just a fallen Celestial Palace. The things inside might be a fortuitous opportunity for you junior cultivators, but for those of my station..."
He paused, a flicker of indifference and understanding in his shattered-gold eyes, like an adult looking at a child’s toy.
"...it’s long since lost its meaning.
That you could gain something from it is your fortune, and also your skill.
The Holy Sect’s rules don’t forbid disciples from exploring ancient ruins. As long as you don’t get yourself killed, it’s fine."
His tone was level, his indifference toward the treasures of the Upper Profound Celestial Palace feeling genuine and natural.
Seeing Qi Yun’s expression relax and his aura stabilize, Desolate Halberd True Monarch didn’t dwell on the matter and got straight to the point:
"I have summoned you here today because I have a mission for you."
"Please give me your orders, True Monarch." Qi Yun’s Heart and Spirit sharpened. He immediately reined in all stray thoughts and replied respectfully.
"You have now reached the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Your foundation is quite solid, and what’s even rarer is that you have forged a [Venerable Dao Foundation]." Desolate Halberd True Monarch’s shattered-gold eyes swept over Qi Yun again, as if confirming something, and he nodded.
"You can be considered to have some decent skills. You’re qualified to take a trip to that place for me."
As he spoke, he raised his right arm—bronze-skinned, with muscles like coiling dragons and crouching tigers—and casually flipped his palm in the empty air.
With no dazzling brilliance or tearing of space, an object about the size of a palm, almost a perfect square, simply materialized above his hand.
It was a block of metal, deep and dark bronze in color. Its edges were sharp and its lines were so straight they seemed to have been carved by the most precise Dao Principle.
Its six faces were as smooth as mirrors, each one densely engraved with countless ancient, complex seal script characters as small as fly heads.
"This object is called [Six Realms Heaven]."
Desolate Halberd True Monarch held the bronze block in his palm and explained in a level tone:
"Its only use is Tunneling Cosmic Jade, to cross realms and manifest."
He looked at Qi Yun:
"I want you to take this object, go to the Outer Realm, and retrieve something for me."
The Outer Realm!
Hearing those two words, Qi Yun instinctively frowned.
’A True Monarch Power, with merits rivaling Creation itself, has long since transcended the normal constraints of space.’
’With a single thought, they can roam the great void and look down upon all realms. With a single impulse, they can retrieve objects from across space. Plucking something from a million miles away across the Star River is as easy as reaching into a pocket.’
’Why would he need to specially dispatch a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage disciple, armed with a treasure, to cross realms and retrieve it?’
’Something’s fishy!’
’This so-called "Outer Realm" is probably a deadly, malevolent domain—so dangerous that not even a True Monarch’s incarnation would dare tread there lightly.’
As if seeing straight through the countless thoughts that had just flashed through Qi Yun’s mind, a look of resignation appeared on Desolate Halberd True Monarch’s rugged face, a hint of amusement in his shattered-gold eyes:
"Alright, stop with the wild guesses.
You brats from the sect, every single one of you has eight hundred schemes in your head, suspicious of everything all day long."
"That place may not be some peaceful Pure Land, but you could hardly call it ’extremely dangerous.’
At least, for you, holding the [Six Realms Heaven] and possessing the Venerable Dao Foundation, it won’t be difficult to get back alive if you act carefully."
He paused, seeming to feel it was necessary to explain why he wasn’t going himself, lest this "eight-hundred-schemes" little fellow keep worrying and let it affect the mission.
He reached up to scratch his short, bristly hair, his movement surprisingly frank, like a young man’s, as he broke into a grin:
"The reason it’s inconvenient for me to go get it myself is... ahem, I did a little ’bad thing’ there back in the day. It’s a bit troublesome for me to get in."
"A little ’bad thing’?" Qi Yun subconsciously looked up, unable to hide the curiosity in his eyes.
’A "little bad thing" that could cause a True Monarch to be rejected by an entire Heaven and Earth was probably anything but simple.’
"Yep, a little bad thing." Desolate Halberd True Monarch’s expression was frank. He even nodded to confirm it, as if it really were just a trivial matter.
"It was just... I happened to pick a [Fruit Position] from there.
Really not a big deal."
He said it so casually, even spreading his hands with a look that seemed to say, "I really didn’t take much."
’That’s not a big deal?!’ Hearing what Desolate Halberd True Monarch said, the corner of Qi Yun’s mouth twitched involuntarily.
From the God of Wealth Cai Shen, he had already gained a preliminary understanding of the secrets behind "Seeking Gold and Proving the Dao."
For a Foundation Establishment Master to prove their Dao and become a True Monarch...
They must obtain a [Dharma Body], an [Immortal Appearance], and a [Fruit Position], uniting the three into one Samadhi, only then can they seek out that sliver of immortal golden nature.
The [Dharma Body] and [Immortal Appearance] could be polished and condensed through one’s own bitter cultivation, fortuitous encounters, and enlightenment.
But the [Fruit Position] was different. It was an essence condensed from the Great Dao, a fruit of which there was only a finite number in all of Heaven and Earth.
Once one was claimed, there was one less.
To seize a [Fruit Position] was no different from brutally carving a piece of flesh from the heart of the Heaven and Earth Dao itself.
To the Heaven and Earth that had nurtured that [Fruit Position], it was a theft and a wound to its very source.
’This... could still be called a little bad thing?!’
The thoughts raced through his mind. Qi Yun suppressed his shock, fell silent for a moment to collect himself, and only then asked cautiously:
"Then... True Monarch, what is it that you wish for this disciple to retrieve?
Upon hearing this, the smile on Desolate Halberd True Monarch’s face grew even brighter. He waved his hand again nonchalantly, his tone light:
"Oh, nothing too special."
He grinned, a glint of mischief flashing in his shattered-gold eyes:
"Truth is, my hands were a bit fast back then, and I accidentally... picked two."
"Two?" Qi Yun’s expression froze.
"Yep." Desolate Halberd True Monarch nodded affirmatively, that same devil-may-care smile on his face.
"One of them, I brought back with me years ago."
"The other one... things were a bit rushed at the time, so I left it behind there for the time being.
When you go, take my token, and you will naturally be able to sense the approximate location and unique Dao Rhyme of that [Fruit Position].
Find it, bring it back. It’s that simple."
’Simple?’
Qi Yun looked at the True Monarch’s relaxed expression and couldn’t stop a few curses from rising in his mind.
After a moment of contemplation, without immediately agreeing or showing any hesitation, he voiced another key question that had been circling in his mind:
"True Monarch, please forgive this disciple’s ignorance.
This matter is of great importance. Why... not send a senior Great Master from the Sect?
A Great Master’s Magical Power is profound, their cultivation is deep, and they are masters of all sorts of Divine Techniques. Their ability to handle accidents and dangers is far superior to this disciple’s.
If they were to act, wouldn’t retrieving the [Fruit Position] be a sure thing?"
This was a very practical consideration.
Between a Great Master and a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator, there was a chasm-like gap in everything from Magical Power accumulation and the stability of their Realm Heaven to their comprehension and application of the Great Dao’s rules.
Hearing this, Desolate Halberd True Monarch’s shattered-gold eyes shifted slightly. He explained very patiently:
"Impossible."
"Great Masters certainly have formidable Magical Power, but precisely because their cultivation is so profound, they have already condensed one or two of the three elements of Samadhi.
They have, to some degree, already formed a connection with a [Fruit Position].
If someone like that were to enter that realm, they would be instantly suppressed."
He paused, letting Qi Yun digest this, before continuing:
"Foundation Establishment Middle Stage is the upper limit of Cultivation that can safely infiltrate that Heaven and Earth.
That’s why I chose you."
’Is that so...’
Just as Qi Yun was silently pondering, weighing the pros and cons.
Desolate Halberd True Monarch suddenly changed the subject, speaking slowly:
"Rest assured, when I do things, I never treat those who work for me unfairly, and I certainly won’t let a disciple of the sect risk his life for nothing."
He paused, then said clearly, word by word:
"If you succeed in this and bring that [Fruit Position] back safely..."
"I will reward you with a [Golden Core]!"
...